Questions
by the-singular-peep
Summary: Since the dawn of time, Padawans always had some sort of question to ask. [ONE-SHOT. COMPLETE. SERIES OF DRABBLES.]


_Questions_

* * *

"But master, why is the sky blue?"

That was the eleventh question Qui Gon had been asked by his incredibly small Padawan in the last half hour. He had even retreated into the Refresher to shower simply to escape Obi Wan, but that didn't seem to deter youngling. Really, Obi Wan was quite too small to be nearly fourteen years old. _And with the mind of a child even younger,_ his mind supplied.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. Obi Wan was incredibly mature - after the initial two month period of being nothing but thankful for becoming a Padawan and following the "Do not speak unless spoken to" formality to a surprising degree, the child had shown Qui Gon knowledge far beyond his years. He had understood the difference between compassion and attachment quite early, and had learned to question everything until he had a full understanding.

That, ironically, was the problem. No matter what he was doing, Qui Gon had no control over Obi Wan bombarding him with questions at the absolute worst times. It didn't matter - it could be a quiet knock on the door in the dead of night or the turning-off of his lightsaber mid-training battle. Whatever means it took, and whenever he thought necessary, Obi Wan would ask his question. Qui Gon could only hope that _The_ question wouldn't come up for a good long while.

"The sky is blue because the sun here on Coruscant reflects more blue colored molecules than red. The blue color comes in short, small waves, so it is scattered more than a different color." Qui Gon called, pausing before he stepped into the warmed water pouring from the shower's faucet. That response seemed to satisfy Obi Wan.

"Okay," He heard the small voice say before tiny feet pattered off back into the shared common room the Master-Padawan duo shared.

Qui Gon laughed slightly before stepping into the shower, beginning to lather his long hair in a freshly scented soap he had acquired on a training mission a few weeks back. Really, even if Jedi weren't supposed to have belongings, Qui Gon couldn't tell himself that he wasn't allowed to partake in the tiny amount of joy that good hygiene brought to him. Even if he had chosen a scent that was far from the simply 'sterile' smell that the temple-issued soaps smelled of. (He wouldn't dare let any other Jedi know, however - the title of _Honey Soaked Chamomile and Lavender_ didn't exactly assist him in claiming he was not being self indulgent.)

He didn't know how much time had passed (It couldn't have been very long at all) when he heard his Padawan's teetering voice call from the other side of the door in a familiar phrase.

"Master, I have a question."

* * *

"Obi Wan, I gotta ask one more thing... How do they make the refreshers at the Jedi Temple?"

Anakin and Obi Wan were on the steps of the temple. They had been assigned to each other as Master and Padawan officially now, and their entrance to the temple would be the first time the two had had an extended stay without (many) interruptions. This would be the first time they had experienced a shared living quarters, and the first time Anakin would experience sleeping in the rock hard temple beds. He had answered every question Anakin had asked as they walked towards the building, and still he wasn't expecting that one. It confused him, to say the least.

"What...?" Was all he could muster. What was this child even asking?

"Like... You know, like, you said a bunch of different species were Jedi, right?" Obi Wan nodded. "What if some of them... You know, _go_ in different ways than others? Do they have bathrooms labeled as different species? Or do you all just use one and the weird Jedi -" Anakin noticed a pointed glare from his Master. "Sorry. The different Jedi- just make do? Or is there like a place outside you go, or is it just improvised, or-"

Obi Wan had learned from his many years of being around younglings that this was simply nervous rambling. Quickly, he kneeled to the child's height and put his hands on his shoulders.

"Anakin, I know that's not the real question you have here. Look at me. You will get the hang of things." He paused to ensure the boy would look at him. "I know you're confused now, but trust me, I will teach you everything you need to know about being a Jedi and how life is conducted here at the Temple. I won't let you be confused forever, alright? There is no need to worry about something such as the Refresher."

Anakin nodded, biting his lip nervously. He was very scared; he had left his mother and former life, and in just a matter of a week he was being told to adjust to a life style so utterly different than anything he had ever known before. It would definitely take some getting used to. But, he supposed, with Obi Wan there to guide him, it couldn't be that bad. He just had to ask one more thing.

"I understand, but, about the bathrooms - what happens if there's a Thisspiasian Jedi? How does-"

"ANAKIN."

* * *

"I just don't get it, _why_ didn't the force make me a spider instead?"

Obi Wan's patience was running thin. After his daily lessons, the eleven-year-old Anakin was set to come to their shared quarters and partake in an hour of meditation under the guidance of his master. Obi Wan had it all planned - today's lesson would be on visualization and how to see your thoughts being released into the force as a concentration tactic. Concentration was definitely something his young Padawan needed, and the way the lesson had actually gone had reminded him of that even more so than normal.

Anakin had arrived back at their quarters a tad bit late, but that was normal for the child. Usually, the instant he entered their quarters, he would begin to chatter endlessly about the pointless things that had happened at lessons - ' _Master Vos said that Aayla had accidentally knocked out one of his teeth in saber training!'_ or _'Master Koon had to let class out early because one of the younglings in his clan got into this really big fight, and the other Padawans say that she bit one of the other masters!' -_ and wouldn't stop until Obi Wan intervened in some way. But today, the boy had been silent. Obi Wan honestly wished that he hadn't confronted him about it.

"Well, it's just that, today in lessons one of the bigger Padawans came in and told us about how the Force makes everything just the way it wants them," Obi Wan was sure that the Padawan had given a much more in depth description, but he remained silent, "Well, it just got me thinkin' - if the force really _did_ make me who I am, why did it make me a human?" The boy looked up at his Master with a look of pure confusion.

"Do you not trust the force, Padawan?" Obi Wan said, crossing his arms in a way that showed he was listening.

"No, no, Master, that's not it," Anakin held his hands out as if the slight curling of his fingers could keep his master from assuming distrust from him. "It's just that - why am I a person? Like, is there something I'm gonna do that another species couldn't?"

Obi Wan decided the best way to handle this question was to dismiss it until he could ask another Master for assistance. It wasn't that he wanted to ignore the inquiry - not at all, in fact. He was just positive that if he tried to respond, he would only confuse Anakin more. And, you know, the small fact that he didn't _really_ know the answer.

"That is a question for another day, Anakin. For now, we must begin your lesson on meditation. Please follow me to my quarters and sit." Obi Wan led the way, opening the door and directing his Padawan to sit on the ground. He then seated himself across from the small child.

"Okay, Padawan, give me your hands." Anakin Obliged, and Obi Wan gave his hand a slight squeeze to keep him from fidgeting. "We will begin with the natural bond. Close your eyes and focus on our connection; our hands touching." He did the same. After a few moments, he began again. "Now focus on any thoughts left in your mind - I trust that you haven't cleared them already."

Anakin was quiet.

A minute later, he was still quiet.

Obi Wan wasn't one to pry or interrupt the thinking of a child, but after six whole minutes of silence he felt it necessarily. "Anakin, are you -"

"I just don't get it! _Why_ didn't the force make me a spider instead?" Anakin cried, taking his hands from Obi Wan's loose grip. The elder opened his eyes and looked sternly at his apprentice, taking in the way he flung his arms in the air. "There's no reason for me _not_ to be a spider! I could still do everything I can now, just with six more arms!"

Obi Wan stifled a chuckle. "Anakin, that's not true, you-"

"And what about Master Plo, or Master Yoda? Why aren't they humans, too? Why does the force get to pick and choose who's what? It's not fair!"

Anakin was past the point of reconciliation. He would fall from the order, Obi Wan decided. His Padawan would one day run, and cause riots, and probably go on to be forever known as The Jedi Who Lost Faith Because His One True Desire Was to be an Arachnid.

* * *

"Master? Where did I come from when I was a baby?"

Plo Koon was simply not expecting this question to follow the polite tugging on his robes. He had been the leader of the Seal Clan for a grand total of ten years and had heard every question possible a number of instances, but he could count the amount of times he had heard this question on one hand. With the Seal clan being among the first array of youngling clans and therefore only consisting of children ages four to six, most of the younglings under his care didn't gather the curiosity to ask this question. Generally that happened closer to the age of eight. But, it wasn't as if he hadn't answered the question before, even if he did have to adapt his response for the young ears (or montral) of a three-year-old Ahsoka Tano.

The youngling had been allowed into the care of his clan early due to the circumstances of her entry into the order. Normally, younglings brought to the temple from birth to the age of four were kept in the nursery, an area where they had very minimal teachings and were mostly allowed to be taught in the ways of speech and basic motor skills without having to yet understand the Jedi code. This, of course, is where the Council had decided to place Ahsoka when Plo brought her to the temple.

But no, it would never be that simple. The child refused to be anywhere that Plo was not - she had arrived before learning not to make attachments, the first of which was a very emotional bond to Plo Koon. Because of this, the order decided that the only one that would be able to get near enough to the youngling to teach her how to _not_ form attachments was the exact reason she needed to be taught in the first place.

And so here they were, in the Seal Clan common room, going about daily business until Ahsoka had gotten the courage to ask Plo her question. The Kel Dor took a moment to scratch his chin before kneeling to the toddler's height.

"Well, little Soka," He began, "Male and Female creatures of all species are different. You see, when a male and a female wish to reproduce, the two have to work together. It's different for each species, but it all has a similar basis - the father fertilizes the egg that rests in the mother." Ahsoka looked extremely confused, so Plo took that as a sign to simplify his normal response even more. "A father and a mother share something very important in order to create a baby. The only way a mother can create a baby is if the father helps. Think of it as a lightsaber - the only way a saber would work would be if you had both the crystal and the hilt. Now you know that, don't you, Soka?" He moved forward and tickled the little one to which she giggled brightly and nodded. "Now, the baby grows in different ways for different species. For Togruta like you, the baby grows inside of the mother in something called her _womb._ It's like your room - it is where the baby eats and sleeps until it is old enough to come into the world. When I found you, you had only been in this world for three years." He looked at the toddler beside him and patted her developing montral. "And that, my dear, is where you came from."

He was very satisfied with how he had worded his response, and looked down for a sign of understanding from Ahsoka.

She paused.  
"Oh." She said, her facial expression more confused than anything else. "I thought I came from Shili."

* * *

"What are those ducks doing?"

It was Padawan Anakin Skywalker's turn to lead the weekly youngling swimming course. A master was there to supervise and lead the older younglings, of course - Master Unduli never missed an opportunity to meet with future Padawans - but Anakin was initially in charge. The group consisted of every age range, the youngest, being around the age of five or six, would learn the basics of a doggy paddle while the older, being around twelve or thirteen and very close to becoming proper Padawans, would be learning how to establish the connection with the force needed to go for long periods of time without oxygen. While one group learned, the other practiced. It wasn't really a strenuous course; the class of nineteen would only be practicing in the rather large pond present in the temple gardens, so there was a very small risk of one of them hurting themselves. Still, swimming in the small area had its troubles.

Each youngling had forgotten their lesson and had turned their attention in the direction where young Barriss Offee had mentioned a disturbance. Anakin cleared his throat, and the young Mirilian seemed to notice the attention she had called to the set of Pelikki near the far corner of the pond for the first time. She blushed around the fresh three tattoos on her face.

"I am so sorry, Padawan Skywalker, I was only -" Her timid voice was cut off when another youngling, a Togruta belonging to the smaller members of the class, shouted a response she deemed fit for the question.

"Oh!" She beamed, turning to the group and, unlike Barriss, basking in the attention of the others, "That one is giving the other one the thing they need to make babies grow!"

Anakin looked at Master Unduli, unsure how to respond to that, only to see the woman laughing quietly to herself. The younglings only continued their chatter.

"That was what Master Plo told me, I-I mean, I think that's true. Is it, Padawan Skywalker?" The Togruta said, turning the attention of the whole group to the seventeen year old. His face began its slow decent into turning beet red. Thankfully, Master Unduli cut in.

"Younglings, calm yourselves. That will be something you need to ask your clan leaders when you return from lessons tonight. Now, shall we consider the lesson or would you all prefer to return to your book studies an hour early?" The group mumbled a reply and Anakin was instructed to go shoo off the pair of mating Pelikki (which was a feat Anakin found quite difficult, and a feat the younglings found quite hilarious) before they continued the lesson.

Needless to say, Luminara was contacted at least once by every single youngling clan leader in the temple that night.

* * *

"Master Yoda, since I'm taller than you, doesn't that mean I'm older than you?"

Obi Wan watched in horror as the youngling before him asked the question. Young Ahsoka Tano, aged nearly six years, had found herself in trouble for the fifth time this week. The fifth offense while he was teaching, Obi Wan had instructed the younglings on their first day of history lessons with him as their tutor, would be to go to the council. When Obi Wan had first entered the council meeting room, the small girl had been hiding behind his legs and gripping so tightly to his pants' leg that her orange knuckles were nearly white. Now, however, she was fully in front of him and expressing her full and unaltered opinion on her crime to the small group of elders. This time, Ahsoka had cut another student's hair with a pair of safety scissors.

"I was only trying to get out the bug that was stuck it in!" Ahsoka had whined at the circle of Jedi Masters. Only a few were present, of course - a disobedient youngling wasn't enough of a concern to contact any Masters that were not already in the temple and were free at the moment. After intently explaining her reasons, the small Togruta had been left with a simple punishment of helping clean the cafeteria that evening with a few of the volunteering Padawans and the designated cleaning droids.

"A way to allow your mind not to wander, cleaning is." Master Yoda told the girl as she pouted. Obi Wan nodded to him in agreement as the girl huffed in defeat. "Anything else you would like to ask the council, youngling?"

And with that, Ahsoka had asked the question none of them were expecting -

"Since I'm taller than you, does that mean I'm older than you?" She had asked Yoda directly without addressing him in any respectful manner. Obi Wan's face contorted into a mixture of disgust and worry of what was to come next. No one had a time to respond before the next question came, this time directed at Master Rancisis. "And can you even see through all that hair?"

It was taking more restraint than Obi Wan had used in any battle to keep himself from sinking to the ground and hiding his face in shame.  
To his surprise, Yoda held up a hand and laughed, and the other masters seemed to see the humor in this as well.

"Younglimg, as old as I am you are not, but good use of your observing skills you have made," He laughed, "A great connection to the force, Master Rancisis has. Allows him to see without sight, it does." Ahsoka seemed pleased with the answers and gave a sharp-toothed grin. It was Mace Windu who spoke next.

"Master Kenobi, you are aware that no matter how far into that wall you sink, we can still see you, correct?"

* * *

"Master, I know it's hard for you to think about, but...What's it like to lose a parent?"

Over the course of the six months Ahsoka had been his Padawan, Anakin had diverted similar questions a grand total of sixteen times. None of these, however, had been asked in the dead of night in the pitch black lighting of his room in the temple.

Surprisingly enough, he hadn't even sensed Ahsoka's presence when she entered the room. In fact, he didn't even notice she was there until she rose her voice to barely above a whisper and asked that question.

Anakin sat up, his bleary eyes trying to focus in the dark, and he heard his Padawan sniff. She desperately tried to hide it, but Anakin could hear the prospect of tears in the nearly-fifteen-year-old's voice. Anakin didn't understand why she was crying, but he definitely didn't want the tears to continue.

"Why do you ask, Snips?" He said simply. When his Padawan spoke again, it seemed as if she had regained some of her composure.

"I don't know if you know, but Master Plo told me that when he found me, my mother had died. That I was by her dead body at a gathering. H-he said she had been sick, and that the other Togruta had come to help, and that I didn't really understand her death - That implies that I knew her pretty well, right?" Anakin waited. He sensed that it was a rhetorical question, and was proven correctly when the girl continued. "I mean, am I supposed to be sad? Am I supposed to miss her? Because.. I don't, really. Does that mean I'm not compassionate?"

"When I think about my mother, I do feel attachment, Ahsoka." Anakin said carefully, trying not to reveal too much about himself. "But if you don't, then- Then it's nothing to worry about. I mean, you were what, three years old? You're not unsympathetic just because you can't really remember her. I think that as long as you respect your culture and her death, even if - _especially_ if -you can't feel the normal attachment someone has to their mother - then you're a good, compassionate Jedi."

"But that's the thing, I don't even _know_ my culture." The Togruta before him spat, flinging her hands above her head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to shout, but.. I don't. All they told me was ' _Togruta are only carnivorous, your lekku are sensitive, and i think that think on your head is made of teeth'._ That's it. And Master Ti wasn't around enough to teach me like Master Unduli did with Barriss. I know nothing other than that green things do terrible things to my digestive system, it hurts when people poke my head, and that I wear Akul teeth on my head as a tradition that I don't even know the _origin._ of. And, I mean no disrespect, master, but it's not like you can teach me any of it."

Anakin had to agree; he couldn't teach her. And he knew that he couldn't find a way to make her believe that her not knowing anything about her mother or her culture had nothing to do with her role as a good Jedi himself. He did, however, know how to help.

"Hey, Snips. Calm down just a second." The Togruta in front of him paused and bent her head respectfully after noticing how loud her rant had gotten. "I'll have you know that Shaak Ti owes me a personal favor." He didn't mention that the favor was only said as a joke after he had rescued the Jedi Master's comlink from falling into a fountain while she was occupying her thoughts on something much more important. "If you want, I can call her up right now. I hear she's in the temple this next week, and I'm sure she'll want to talk to you."

He could practically feel the small smile his apprentice gave him.

"That's...Thank you, Master. That really would mean a lot to me...but I think we could wait till morning." The girl rubbed the back of her Montral sheepishly. "I did kinda wake you up at 0200 with an existential crisis..."

"Gotcha." Anakin laughed as he watched his Padawan slowly walk towards the door. "And Snips?"

She turned around.

"Thanks. For coming to me about that instead of keeping it all bottled up like some masters would tell you to do. It...means a lot."

"It's no problem, Skyguy."


End file.
